How can Prophet Muhammad's saying be reconciled: "All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, is the Seven Oft-Repeated (verses) and the Magnificent Qur'an which I was given," with his saying in another Hadith: "Ayat al-Kursi is the greatest thing revealed to me," given the presence of the superlative form "greatest" in both Hadiths?
The Hadith of Abu Sa'id ibn al-Mu'alla indicates that Surat al-Fatihah is the greatest surah in the Quran, while the Hadith of Abu Dharr is weak. However, there are authentic hadiths that suffice, such as the Hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, which clarifies that Ayatul-Kursi is the greatest ayah in the Book of Allah. There is no contradiction between the two hadiths; al-Fatihah is the greatest surah, and Ayatul-Kursi is the greatest ayah. A surah differs from an ayah. Al-Fatihah is great due to the meanings it contains, and Ayatul-Kursi is distinguished by its compilation of the fundamental divine names and attributes.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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